Here’s an interesting article from Marzano on using academic games. As well as motivating, well thought-out games can also raise achievement …
“Over the last five years, I have had the opportunity to examine the influence of academic games in a variety of classes and subject areas. I have been involved in more than 60 studies conducted by classroom teachers on the effects of games on student achievement. These studies showed that, on average, using academic games in the classroom is associated with a 20 percentile point gain in student achievement. This is a relatively strong finding.”
The Art and Science of Teaching / Using Games to Enhance Student Achievement
Evidence into Practice 